DEAS/Physics/EPS Safety Committee

Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Noon-1:00PM

1. Video - "Practicing Safe Science - Part 1 " (15 minutes)

2. Subcommittee Assignments 2005-2006

• Lenny handed out the sub-committee assignments which included the lab inspection teams.
• PhD Hit Squad - Lenny said we need a better way to be notified when grad students and post-docs leave Harvard so we can follow up on the chemicals they purchased.
• Machine Shop Safety - If you need training, contact Stan or go to his website.
• Chemical tracking - Lenny has been looking into a way to track chemical purchases. This is a daunting task. He has been talking with Alan Long about possible options.
• Lab inspection teams - Each team must determine when it will inspect its assigned lab areas in January thru April . Chairpersons of each team must email Lenny before the December meeting (December 14th) their planned inspection date within their assigned month (see the Team assignments). The actual inspections are usually completed within a few hours on one day. We have 13 teams this year.

3. Evacuation Planning - Lenny

• Ed Jackson will contact people from the company that posted Emergency Mitigation numbers near the elevators to have them update phone numbers and contact names.
• Initially Lenny asked each safety officer to choose an emergency evacuation meeting place 100 feet from their building and email him the info. However, after some discussion, it was decided the most appropriate action would be for Lenny to determine the meeting places and then notify the safety officers.
• Handicapped personnel - if you have someone in your lab who is disabled, please call Lenny or email him TODAY so that a plan can be made for their evacuation in case of emergency.
• FLOORPLANS:
  • Paul Kelley will send Rob the floor plans for the Hoffman Building so that they can be posted on our website.
  • Ed Jackson will contact Lenny with new floor plans.
• Paul Kelley said that lab managers are supposed to report evacuation plans to the whole department. EH&S has a template for this procedure.
• Lenny suggested that labs post their evacuation plans in front of their coffee machine or water fountain, or other areas where people congregate daily, like conference rooms. Post them where visitors will see them as well.
• Ed Jackson said we all need to update the emergency contact door forms! Lenny will send out an announcement about this.
• Chuck Lichtenwalner (EH&S) said he is working with a company called ChemTracker to build a database that could be used to make emergency door signs as well as track chemicals. This might be available by the end of this year.

4. EH&S - Report

• The Hoffmann Building had a successful fire drill. If other building managers want to do drills before the end of the year, contact EH&S.
• The fire department does not like obstructions in corridors. The Physics department is working on making recessed areas for vending machines.

5. Hazardous Waste Training

• Rob Stanhope read a list of names of people who need to update their online training.

6. Old Business - none

7. New Business

• There was a question about Airpacks and retraining for Joe Chen and Steve Shepard. Lenny said this will be done by Cathy Thomas in December and he would contact her about it.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 14, 2005, 12:00 noon, Maxwell/Dworkin 119